Chapter 5: Departure: Part 4

Departure: Part 4

Republic of Manecia, Acracia Mountains

February 1st

The moment had finally arrived. The moment when their paths would dissipate.

The injured were inside the bus, their luggage in place, only the sad and emotional farewell remained.

"Can we go now?" Vines complained, stamping his feet repeatedly near the door.

At the end, Earlene, Chase, Jevo, Vines, and two foreigners, Brawell and Alon, stood out in the group determined to head toward the capital, along with several other students and those injured from the recent accident.

They waited beside the vehicle in front of their other companions.

"Guys..." Sein murmured. "You still have time to change your minds, you know..."

"At this point, that's unthinkable," Jevo commented, stretching his neck out to the sides. “When you recover from your delirium, don't hesitate to return as well.”

"Heh, we'll take note of that," Garwin replied. "God be with you."

The residents weren't the only ones saying goodbye to each other. Some foreigners decided to separate from the group and follow the girl named Izzy on her different path. These were only two, a young woman with Asian features and an African-American boy; Haeri and Gitta.

Chase and his colleagues were determined to return, even with the dozens of foreigners on the school bus. Two less wouldn't make a difference.

The girl took a few steps closer to her departing comrades, accompanied by her companion at her back.

"We'll see each other again. Be… careful" The young woman with dark eyes extended her open hand.

One of them approached her in the same way, and they shook hands firmly.

"Don't push yourself too hard, Haeri. Both of you take care of yourselves as well. After all, this is unfamiliar place for all of us.”

On the other hand, coming from the wooden cabin, the light-eyed lady was approaching with her hands in her pockets. Chase was waiting for her with his arms crossed and a malicious smile.

"Izzy, don't make that face. Do you expect me to call that a 'smile'? At least put in some effort."

"I never intended that." The young woman sighed and, ignoring the mockery, raised her head. "We've talked it over, Chase. You already know our objective."

"Yeah... And by any chance, didn't you also notice my and Jevo's expression when you did it? We're still not over the joke."

Chase knew beforehand that they were a "special" group of people. Everyone at their school knew it, and they knew it themselves, but it seems the insults and mockery of their classmates never stopped them from thinking and acting stupidly.

His own circle of friends was already peculiar in its own way, but at least they didn't have a screw loose, as was clearly evident from the group of the girl in front of him.

The "joke" they were referring to was a crazy statement, even more so than the news of a world war taking place at that moment.

It was nothing more and nothing less than...

"(A coup? Heh, these guys are starting to scare me.)” Chase thought.

In a way, he wasn't surprised. In addition to knowing them, he had experienced the harsh reality of his country firsthand, from his very heart.

He was fully aware of the social and economic situation of the other inhabitants, yet living in the capital allowed him to live like an ignoramus.

"Why intervene in a problem that doesn't concern me?"

The boy, swimming in "abundance and privilege," repeated that question to himself every morning.

"...If the situation gets complicated, you can contact us," Izzy added. “Nisha managed to get Xiomara's cell phone working again. The signal should be back by then.”

"Did she put it in a bowl of rice? Yeah, like I needed their help for anything," the boy concluded, turning his back on her and readjusting his cap, about to board the bus with the others. "You really overestimate yourself, Izzy. But in reality you're just like all of us."

"Whatever…" she mused, closing her eyes, just as the bus doors in front of her did.

The engine started, sand came off the ground, and their destination was in sight: the nation's capital city, Matria.

He would finally return home after a long and annoying travel.

To be continued…